ingredients

1 lb chicken

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

3 15 oz cans white beans

1 or 2 peppers

 

 

 

3 10oz pkg spinach

large eggs

6oz coursely grated guerre cheese

4 tsps nutmeg

!!!!!!

http://us.macmillan.com/thegatheringstorm


It's almost here!

25 things I know about myself

This is from Facebook, but I thought it interesting enough to post on the blog, since I sync them up anyway ;)

 

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it is because I want to know more about you.

 

 

1.       There are times when I feel like I am living someone else’s life, as I can do things I never thought myself capable of before.

 

2.       I’d rather work on 3 or 4 things at once than one thing at a time.

 

3.       I am not afraid anymore

 

4.       I dream in very vivid color, every night, though  I usually don’t remember specifics

 

5.       I believe that the only people that should be given power are the ones that don’t want it.

 

6.       I think sometimes I was born 200 years too late or 200 years too early

 

7.       I have more freckles than just about anyone else I know, and in more places, such as the bottoms of my feet.

 

8.       I have watched the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

 

9.       I have swam in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California, the Caribbean Sea, all 5 of the great Lakes, and more rivers and lakes and various bodies of water than I could name.

 

10.   I have been outside when it’s 125 degrees, and when it’s 30 below no wind chill.

 

11.   I have never been in a better place personally in my entire life.

 

12.   I have free dived to a depth of over 100 feet.

 

13.   I am a science dork in my free time. Currently reading :  http://quantumenigma.com/

 

14.   I need to start playing music again

 

15.   I do not own a book that I have not read at LEAST twice, and I own a LOT of books.

 

16.   I have setup a network in a hotel room to play games with friends, AFTER just spending 4 days playing games with them at a LANParty.

 

17.   I have given a speech in front of more than 3000 people.

 

18.   I am actually quite shy

 

19.   I love technology, and love my job because of the fact that I get to work with it.

 

20.   I “see” the streets in my head when I think about directions or give someone else directions.

 

21.   I think everybody should be cool, this is a robbery

 

22.   I think the next 20 years will bring changes that none of us can foresee.

 

23.   I haz a flavor

 

24.   I think on my feet really well

 

25.   I truly believe that love and kindness can conquer pretty much anything

A New Year

Indeed, it IS a new year. Time for some reflection, and for some celebration!

 

Quite a bit happened in my life this year. I was engaged, but canceled the wedding after realizing that I was not in the right relationship. New friendships started, other friendships ended, and old friends I had not spoken with in many years re-entered my life at times. I sprained my MCL, broke my collarbone, and partially tore my rotator cuff. I got my black belt in June, and began pursuing a 2^nd degree black belt with passion and zeal.

 

I met people that changed my life in many ways. Each added their own unique push as I made the journey of self discovery this year.

 

Most importantly, I found something very important this year.  I found myself. I found confidence I didn’t know I had. I found that I had more control over most areas of my life than I thought. I found that I could do things I never thought possible. I continued to do the right things, eat the right things, and lose weight, to the point I weigh less now than I did in high school, but am capable of so much more. I discovered that through patience and perseverance pretty much anything is possible.

 

In many ways, 2008 was the best year of my life.

 

And yet, I realize now that I am just beginning to discover what I am really capable of. I have set the foundation to build upon, and it is finally solid. I know who I am now, and now it’s time to grow even more. I learn each day how to remove the limitations I had trapped myself with.

 

2009 is going to be a GREAT year!

Storms, and birthdays, and crashes, oh my!

This past week has been a whirlwind, no pun intended.

 

So the big windstorm that was the remnants of Hurricane Ike went through the city on Sunday afternoon and caused a royal mess. Close to 900,000 people without power. 90% of the houses in my neighborhood got some type of damage, though thankfully my house escaped damage. Also fortunately, I got my power back late Sunday night. There are still a good chunk of people without power today. It’s made for some crazy times this week.

 

Work’s been a little crazy trying to get customers situations straightened out. Most things have been small, except for yesterday.

 

Yesterday, I had a nice easy day planned. It was my birthday after all! However, that’s not the way it worked out. I had a customer get power back early that morning, and their server was fried. Hardcore fried to the point I couldn’t do anything with it. So the rest of yesterday, and all day today, and probably all day tomorrow, I am trying to restore from backups to a new server to get them running again. It’s a very slow, tedious, and nerve-racking process.

 

So, the birthday came and went this year quietly. I’m thankful for that. I did get out to lunch with Karen (simple and quick at Applebees), and she got them to sing for me. I find that type of thing embarrassing normally, but it was actually nice yesterday. And it was good to catch up with Karen. And then I got a wonderful gift from Andrea that night after class. She made a homemade dinner (stuffed shells) and brought it over for me to enjoy. She also got me a framed quote, one of my favorites from The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. The quote is:

 

Knowledge alone does not suffice; it has no heart. No amount of knowledge will nourish or sustain your spirit; it can never bring you happiness or peace. Life requires more than knowledge; it requires intense feeling and constant energy.

 

It was a very thoughtful gift!

 

All in all, it’s another year past, and another started. I’m in a good place to start this one for a change, and I am positive it will be a good year.

Status Quo

Yes, I haven’t updated in a while. I know, I’m a horrible blogger ;).

 

 

What’s new with me? The simple answer is not much. I did get to go on a wonderful vacation to San Francisco a few weeks ago. That was extraordinarily nice. What a fun city to visit!

 

Other than that, it’s been Kung Fu and work.  Fu is difficult. Black Belt really ramps things up again. I’m enjoying the challenge for the most part though. I did find out that my shoulder is not really healed. I have a visit with a specialist this Thursday, after my MRI two weeks ago shows a torn rotator cuff. I’m not looking forward to the surgery for that if that is indeed what it is.

 

Overall, I am not where I thought I would be at this point. Nothing has quite happened the way I thought it would. That’s life for you though. I may not be where I thought I would be, but I am evidently where I am supposed to be. Trying to figure out what I should be learning from everything going on is not particularly easy, but that’s ok. I’m starting to understand myself a little better.

 

I have had some good experiences and some bad since I posted last. I’ve met some great people, and I’ve had my spirit uplifted a bit by some of them. I’ve reconnected with some other people from my past, one in particular, and that has been very interesting.  I will not bore you with details. I will however try to post more to keep things updated better.

 

 

Fortune

My fortune from my dinner last night with my best friend from high school, who I hadn’t seen in perhaps 8 years….

 

 

Hope is the most precious treasure to a person

 

 

Very apropos I think, for many reasons